Friends and Lovers
by twinkminded
Summary: When Justin leaves Ethan, he knows there is one person he can trust more than anyone else, his best friend. Getting his favorite lover back should mean life will be calm, but an unusual turn puts Justin in an interesting position between his friend and his lover. (Brian already has Kinnetik)
1. Chapter 1

Justin knocked on the door to Daphne's apartment, trying not to cry. He'd been so stupid to trust Ethan and all his pretty words.

"Justin?" Daphne asked when she opened the door. "What's wrong?"

Justin sniffled and walked into his best friend's apartment. "Ethan."

"What did he do?" She demanded as they sat down on the couch together.

He sighed and told her about Ethan's concert and what he did. He knew it served him right; he had cheated on Brian.

By the time he was done, he was in Daphne's arms. Daphne knew there wasn't much she could do other than hold him, so that's what she did.

They sat on the couch for a long time without saying anything.

Justin finally sat up and put one arm around her so that they each had an arm around the other's waist.

"Thanks, Daph," he said with a small smile.

"That's what friends are for."

He nodded and gave her an innocent kiss on the mouth. "And you're the best kind," he said honestly. "I can always trust you."

"Aww," she teased. "I love you too."

He laughed, pulled her tighter against him. "Always, Daph."

She smiled and snuggled herself into his embrace better. She really did love her best friend, even if he was gay.

"Welcome back, asshole," Debbie said with a smile when Brian walked into the diner. He' d been gone on business for a week and was glad to be home.

"I miss anything good?" He asked lightly as he sat down in the booth across from Emmitt.

"Um," the tall man said slowly as he shared a look with Deb. "Not really?"

Brian raised a brow then tried not to tense when he spotted Justin coming out of the kitchen.

"I'll get you some coffee," Debbie said and walked off.

Justin paused for a second when he saw Brian sitting with Emmitt. He took a deep breath and plastered a smile on his face.

"Morning, Brian," he said lightly as he passed the man, going for a table by the door.

He'd only seen the handsome man once since leaving Ethan and he wasn't sure what to think. He loved the man, no doubt about it, but that wouldn't mean much to the older man. He'd cheated on Brian and left him. Brian wouldn't want him back even if he had the balls to ask.

He did his best to push aside he thoughts about Brian so he could focus on work. He got better tips when he was in a good mood. He did what he was good at, what he'd done since he started at the diner, he laughed, joked, and flirted with the customers, even the women.

Brian couldn't help noticing his favorite twink as he ate his breakfast. The blond worked the diner effortlessly as he always had. He hated that he still paid attention to the man, especially after the way he'd hurt him.

He finally met Justin's blue eyes when he stopped at the table to refill his and Emmitt's coffees. Those blue eyes weren't as bright as they should have been. The twink wasn't as happy as he should be. He didn't like that, but he reminded himself that it wasn't his business to keep Justin happy anymore.

"Thanks, Baby," Emmitt said brightly.

"Need anything else?" Justin asked the two men, trying not to act nervous around Brian. They'd seen each other plenty of times since they'd broken up, but it seemed different now to him.

"Yeah," Emmitt said. "You to come to Woody's tonight."

Brian raised his brow as he sipped his coffee. Justin in the bar? He'd only seen him in the bar once since they spilt up, and that night he'd looked upset.

Justin smiled. "For a while," he said easily. "I have an early class tomorrow."

"Great!"

Brian hid a faint smile behind his cup. He'd always liked Emmitt's exuberance for life, if even he pretended to be annoyed by the man.

"Here, I'll top that off."

Brian looked at Justin in surprise.

"Thanks," he said and held his cup out. He watched as the boy poured a little more coffee into his cup. He raised a brow in surprise when he didn't see the cheap ring on his finger anymore.

"Your boyfriend lets you go out?" Brian asked, perhaps a little bitterly.

Justin couldn't help the single laugh that escaped his lips. "Since I don't have a boyfriend," he said calmly. "It doesn't matter, now does it?"

Brian just looked at him, feeling oddly glad that the boy was no longer with the fiddler. "What happened to all the love and romance and shit?"

Justin shrugged. "It didn't last," he said honestly. "Most things don't anymore." He walked away from the table before he said anything more that revealed how bitter he was about his failure at relationships.

"When did that happen?" Brian asked before thinking.

"Two weeks ago," Emmitt answered. "And I must say Justin is much better off. He didn't seem like himself while he was with that wimp."

Brian had to smile a little, glad he wasn't the only one who hadn't approved of Justin being with the fiddler.

He was just finishing up his breakfast when the perky Daphne walked into the diner.

"Hey, Justin," the girl said brightly.

"Hey, you're early," Justin said as he put Brian and Emmitt's tickets on their table.

"Um, no," she said slowly. "You're working late."

Justin looked at the clock on the wall in surprise. "Shit, I am," he said and quickly untied his apron. "Deb, I got to go!"

"See you tonight!" Emmitt called and Justin waved over his shoulder.

Brian watched the two friends leave. So, Sunshine wasn't with the fiddler any longer. That meant he would be back soon. He smiled faintly, happy he would have his Sunshine back.


	2. Chapter 2

Justin walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still dripping water onto his shoulders.

"You going home with him tonight?" Daphne asked calmly from where she sat on the couch. She was already in her pajamas and watching the latest chicflic.

Justin shook his head. "I highly doubt it," he said honestly. "I'm not even sure if I'll get a trick. I'm only going to Woody's."

"Have fun either way," she said with a smile.

Justin smiled at her and went to his room to dress. He emerged again half an hour later, ready to meet Emmitt, and probably the other guys, at the bar.

"Sexy," Daphne said, like she usually did.

"You're just biased," he teased as he kissed her quickly on the lips.

She grinned, but didn't deny it. "See you in the morning."

"Night," he said and left their apartment.

Brian walked into Woody's, knowing he should just skip it. Justin would be there with Emmitt. He shouldn't let himself worry about the blond, he'd done okay while he was with the fiddler, but he wasn't any longer.

Against his better judgment, he instantly looked over the bar until he found a familiar head of blond hair.

Justin was playing pool with Emmitt, Ted, and some tall man with dark red hair.

"Hey, boys," Brian said casually as he walked up to them after getting a beer.

"Hey, Brian," Emmitt said with a smile, his eyes sliding to Justin and the man standing close to him, and back to Brian.

Justin stood up straight from taking his shot and met Brian's eyes. "Hi," he said calmly, pretending that seeing him didn't bother him.

"Who's your friend?" Brian asked eyeing up the hot man.

Justin sighed, knowing he just lost his 'date' for the night. "Luke."

"The famous Brian Kinney," Luke said with a grin.

Emmitt gave Justin a sympathetic smile. Brian always got the hottest man.

"And you fucked him how many times?" Luke asked Justin as he slid his arms around him, pulling him against his chest, surprising everyone.

Justin couldn't help smiling at the red head. "A lot," he admitted.

"That means you are a great fuck," the man whispered in Justin's ear. "I can't wait."

Justin laughed.

"You taught him well," Emmitt told Brian, watching Justin smile at his trick. "This is the third trick I've seen him rope since he left Ethan."

Brian raised a brow as Ted took a turn on the table. "Since when do we actually spend time with a trick?"

"Since I want to," Justin butted in. "It's none of your business what I chose to do with the men I fuck, Brian."

Brian looked at the twink in surprise.

Justin turned away from Brian and silently blew out a breath.

He hadn't really planned on picking up a trick tonight, but knowing that Brian would show up, he'd decided it would be to his advantage, to let Brian know he wasn't some pathetic kid pining after him.

Brian sat at the small round table and watched the pool game, mostly watching Justin and his trick. He was surprised that the blond would turn right to tricking after leaving his boyfriend. He'd expected him to run right back to him.

"I want you now," Luke breathed in Justin's ear and Justin grinned, ignoring the others.

He leaned back against the man, feeling his cock pressing against his ass. He was ready for the man, had been since he spotted him at the bar.

He stepped away after a second and held his cue out to Emmitt, who smiled knowingly. "I'll be back in a little while."

Brian's hand tightened around his beer, but he gave no other outward sign that he cared about Justin walking away with his trick, going for the bathroom. He'd always enjoyed watching Justin fucking, but that was when he'd known he would be fucking the twink as well. He wouldn't have the blond and it hurt.

He shook his head a little and took a long drink of his beer. He was Brian Kinney, he didn't get hurt because he wouldn't be fucking someone.

Justin felt Brian's eyes on him as he walked away, but he didn't care at the moment. He was horny as hell and wanted to be fucked. He wouldn't get Brian, so he focused on the man he could have.

He welcomed the man's kiss as they shut themselves into one of the stalls. Woody's didn't have a backroom and didn't really like people fucking in the backroom, but wouldn't say anything unless too many people were doing it.

He quickly worked Luke's jeans, more than ready for him.

"Eager?" Luke laughed deeply.

"Yes," he admitted and shoved the man's jeans and underwear down, freeing his cock.

"Turn around then."

Justin turned around and touched his forehead to the stall wall. His cock hardened farther as his pants were pushed to his knees. He had a high sex drive and hadn't been getting fucked nearly enough.

He moaned when Luke's sheathed cock pressed into him. He reached back and held the ma's leg with one hand, gasping in pleasure as he pounded into him. Days, it had been days since he was topped.

He let his head fall back as he pushed his hips back, thrusting himself onto the cock in him. If felt so good.

"Fuck," Luke groaned, moving faster and Justin knew he was about to come.

Justin grabbed his own cock and worked it, so close himself. He came after a minute and was quickly followed by Luke.

They stood there for a minute, breathing before Luke pulled out.

Justin cleaned himself off and pulled his pants up. "Thanks," he said lightly to the other man.

He left the stall and bathroom before Luke could get his pants up. They both got what they wanted.

"Was he good?" Emmitt asked when he rejoined the group.

"Good enough," he admitted to his friend. No trick was as good as the dark haired man sitting at the table drinking Jim Beam, but he was not going to say that.

Emmitt laughed. He really like Justin and was glad he was himself again. Okay, Justin wasn't quite the same, but he knew Justin was more himself than when he was with Ethan. He was also glad the Justin seemed not to be affected by Brian being around. Emmitt knew he was, but the boy was hiding it well.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to head home," Justin said when the others mention moving on to Babylon.

"Okay, Baby," Emmitt said kissing his cheek.

"Bye," Justin said glancing at Ted and Brian. He walked off before either said anything.


	3. Chapter 3

Brian watched Justin dancing. He'd seen the blond in Babylon a couple times in the two weeks since he found out he was single. He'd watched the man dance and go into the backroom. He'd even followed him back once, not even lying to himself that he wanted to see Justin fucking someone. He'd walked away as soon as he saw someone fucking Justin. He didn't like someone else in his ass.

Tonight Justin wasn't just dancing with all the hot men. Daphne was with him tonight, dancing as if she was one of the many dancers. It amazed Brian how so few men cared that the straight woman was there.

He tipped back his drink, watching the two dance and laugh. Justin was still the best dancer he knew, still looked hot as hell. He still made Brian hard as fuck.

He put his drink down with a groan. He started for the dancing pair, already knowing he was about to do something that was going to change his life again.

He moved up behind Justin, putting his hands on his hips. He moved his body with the younger man's effortlessly.

Justin closed his eyes when he felt familiar hands on his hips and let himself enjoy the moment.

He shivered when he felt Brian's lips touch his neck.

"I want your ass," Brian said honestly into his ear.

"You always do," Justin said without opening his eyes, his heart pounding.

"Let's go."

"No."

Brian stopped moving and twirled Justin around in surprise. "What?" He asked stupidly. Since when did Justin turn him down? Okay, other than when he was with his fiddler.

"I won't be a convenient fuck again," Justin said firmly.

"You think just because I want to fuck you that I'll just take you back?" He asked harshly. God knew he wanted the blond back in his bed, in his life, but he wasn't going to just open himself up like that.

"Yes," Justin said confidently.

"Why should I?" He asked with a raised brow. "You want romance and monogamy, remember? And I won't give you that." As much as he wanted him, he couldn't change that much.

Justin nodded calmly. "Monogamy is overrated," he said with a shrug. "It's boring."

"Is that so?"

He nodded.

Finally! Brian thought. The boy realized the foolishness of the notion.

"You want to fuck?" Justin asked, leaning close enough his lips were almost touching Brian's.

Brian stared into those bright blue eyes that he loved and nodded.

"I want my non-boyfriend," Justin said with a little smile.

Brian raised a brow and couldn't help smiling. "Non-boyfriend, huh?"

"Isn't that what you are in a non-relationship?" He asked teasingly.

"No rules," he said and licked Justin's bottom lip.

Justin stared into his eyes. "Deal." It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but he would be with Brian.

Brian kissed him, grabbing the back of his head to hold him close. He kissed Justin, taking possession of his mouth. God, he'd missed this.

"Backroom or loft?" Justin asked with a gasp when they broke the kiss.

Brian didn't even have to think about it. "Loft," he said. "So I can fuck you all night."

Justin grinned and turned to Daphne. She was still dancing, pretending to ignore the two men. "Bye, Daph."

She grinned. "Have fun, boys," she laughed.

Brian grabbed Justin's hand and pulled him out of the club.

Justin moaned as he woke up the next morning. He was curled up to a man and it only took a second for him to remember that it was Brian. He'd gone home with Brian and they had fucked all night.

He smiled happily and wiggled himself against the body he knew as well as his own.

"If you're going to wake me up, do it right, Sunshine," Brian murmured.

Justin grinned and slid down the bed until he could take Brian's cock in his mouth. He moaned at the taste and swallowed the man into his throat.

Brian thrust up into Justin's mouth, one hand tangling in his blond hair. Damn, no one gave a blowjob like Justin.

The two showered (and fucked) then dressed.

"Need a lift somewhere?" Brian asked once they were dressed.

"The diner," Justin told him. "My shift starts in an hour."

"Enough time for breakfast," he suggested.

Justin bit his lip, knowing what them going into the diner would say. He was glad to be back with Brian, but he didn't want to hear Michael's mouth.


	4. Chapter 4

A Month Later

"How were the girls?" Justin asked when Daphne came out of the bathroom, freshly showered after her dinner with two of her friends. (Breeders of course)

"Oh, Angela broke up with her boyfriend and just whined the whole time about it," Daphne said curling up next to Justin on the couch.

"And in a week she'll have a new one."

Daphne laughed. "If that," she agreed. "I swear, she goes through men almost as quick as you."

Justin poked her ribs. "Take it back," he laughed. "I don't date the men I fuck."

"Except Brian."

"Except Brian," he said with a nod.

"I can't believe you two are together yet you're still tricking."

He shrugged and put his arm around her, pulling her closer to his side. "It's not like I pick up random guys often anymore," he told her. "But sometimes I want to be up someone's ass."

"Justin!" She exclaimed in pretend horror.

"What?" He asked innocently. "Brian hasn't let me top since we got back together."

"He never let you do that much before," she reminded him.

He nodded. "That is the one reason I don't mind tricking," he said honestly. "I like to top sometimes too."

"I know," she said calmly. She loved that they have always been able to talk about everything. "So now you're tricking the other way, huh?"

He raised a brow at her in question.

"Before you said you needed to bottom and you weren't getting it enough," she reminded him. "Now you bottom for him all the time and you need to top."

"Basically," he agreed.

They were silent for sometimes, just watching the TV. Justin held his best friend to his side, her head on his shoulder, his hand idly rubbing against the soft skin of her arm.

"Hey, Justin," Daphne said some time later.

"Hmm?"

She turned enough to look him in the eye and pressed her lips to his. She moaned softly and shifted to sit in his lap.

Justin held her, kissing her, the only woman he ever thought about kissing. He had no interest in women, but this was Daphne.

"I know this straight boy, Daph," Emmitt said a few days later at breakfast.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "There are a few of them," she teased.

Emmitt laughed. "I know, but this one is hot and single."

"Really?" She asked.

He nodded. "You should really meet him," he insisted.

Daphne laughed as Justin set a fresh glass of orange juice on the table. His shift started twenty minutes ago.

"Yeah, Daph," he teased. "That way I can steal him."

She smacked his arm with a fake scowl. "What's so special about this guy?" She asked looking at Emmitt.

"He's cute," Emmitt offered,

"And?"

He shrugged. "Is there anything else?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "No thanks, Em."

"Daph wants more than a hot body," Justin laughed as he walked past.

"It's a shame you're not a gay man," Emmitt laughed.

"I wouldn't be me if I was," she said rolling her eyes.

"Maybe," he agreed, "but it would be easier to set you up with a date."

She rolled her eyes again. "I don't need help to get a date," she told him. "I'll have you know I just went out on a date last week."

"And?" Emmitt prompted.

"He was a jerk," she admitted then smiled faintly. "I still have my friends though."

Emmitt smiled at the straight girl. She was a good friend, and she liked cock so she was more fun to talk sex with than a lesbian.


	5. Chapter 5

Justin groaned as he woke up to someone shoving him.

"Move, Justin," Daphne said.

Justin groaned again, but rolled out of the bed so Daphne could get up. "I told you I should have gone to my own bed," he grumbled as he stretched.

Daphne climbed out of her bed and shook her head at her friend. He certainly was not a morning person.

"Shut up," she said lightly and walked out of the bedroom, completely naked. Nudity was something they no longer cared about. Hell, they shared nearly every intimate detail about sex; seeing each other naked was nothing compared to intimacy.

Justin shook his head as his best friend walked out of the room and he headed for his own room. He pulled out his jeans and shirt for the day, but left them on his bed, waiting for his turn in the shower.

He pulled on a pair of briefs and went into the kitchen to start the coffee.

The coffee wasn't even finished before someone knocked on the door.

"Daph!" He called and he went for the door, knowing who would be on the other side.

He opened the door and found Tina standing there, just as he'd expected. She was as pretty girl with short black hair and brown eyes.

"Come on in," he said stepping aside to let her in. "Daph should be out of the shower in a minute."

"I don't mind waiting," the girl said with an overly-friendly smile, her eyes traveling over his nearly naked body.

Justin fought not to roll his eyes. Damn straight girl couldn't get it in her head that he was gay.

He gestured to the couch and went back to the kitchen, feeling her eyes on him. He wished Daphne would hurry up so he could escape to the bathroom. He could shut himself in his room, but that would be rude and his mother raised him not to be rude.

He poured himself coffee and turned to the living room. He liked Tina; she was a nice girl, if she would stop looking at him as a potential bed partner.

"How have you been, Justin?" She asked with a more normal smile. "Haven't seen you in a couple days."

"Working and class mostly," he said honestly. "And of course spending time with my boyfriend."

She sighed theatrically. "It's such a shame you're gay," she said. "You could have just about any woman you want."

He raised a brow at her. "I can have just about any man I want," he told her with a smile.

The bathroom door opened and Daphne stepped out wrapped in her robe. "Morning, Tina," she said with a smile. "Give me a minute I'll be ready."

"No hurry," the girl said with a smile. "I got here a little early."

Daphne nodded and went into her room to dress for class.

Justin smiled at Tina and went into the bathroom, ready to escape the woman's eyes. By the time he showered and shaved, the two women were gone, which was good since he'd walked out of the room with a towel around his waist.

He snatched his phone up when it rang, grinned with he saw that it was Brian. "Morning," he said cheerfully.

"Whatever," Brian said casually. "When's your shift?"

"I have the lunch shift," he told his lover.

"Want to go to Woody's with me and Michael?" Brian asked calmly. "The professor's got a class tonight."

Justin grinned. "I get off about dinner time," he said as he stepped into his jeans. "How about coming by and grabbing a bite first?"

"I guess I can do that," Brian said slowly, teasingly.

"Okay," he said brightly. "I'll see you later then."

"Whatever," Brian said as if didn't matter, but Justin knew the older man would be smiling. Brian tried so hard to hide what he thought and felt, but Justin was relearning to read the older man.

Justin was just finishing his shift when Brian walked into the diner, dressed in jeans and a sleeveless shirt. He loved when Brian wore sleeveless tops.

He grinned happily and put in orders for their meal and removed his apron.

"You look like it was a good day," Brian commented lightly.

"Great tips," Justin told him. It had been a little stressful at one point, but he'd earned more than usual.

They ate their dinner, talking easily. It was one thing Brian had always enjoyed with Justin. He could talk to him and actually contribute when Brian talked about his work.

They were almost done eating when Justin's phone rang.

"Hey, Daph," Justin asked lightly.

"Justin." Daphne's voice was strained.

"Daph," Justin said, concerned. "What is it?"

"Can you come home?" She asked.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not hurt if that's what you're asking," Daphne assured him. "But I really need you to come home."

"Okay, I'm coming," he told her, wondering what was wrong with his friend. She sounded upset.

"Thanks, Jus," she said softly.

"Bye," he said and hung up. He looked at Brian. "Daph needs me. I'll see if I can meet up with you later."

Brian nodded, knowing that if Daphne needed him, then Justin would be there. He was that kind of best friend.

Justin waved once and left the diner, heading home to see what was up with Daphne.


	6. Chapter 6

Daphne was sitting on the couch when Justin walked into the apartment, twisting her fingers together nervously. Her cheeks had dried tears on them. She looked worried and almost heartbroken.

"Daph?" Justin asked softly, sitting down next to her and put an arm around her.

She sniffled and looked at him, her dark eyes shining with tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Oh, God, Justin," she nearly sobbed and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly, her face buried in his neck.

He held her, rubbing her back. He didn't say anything, knowing she would talk when she was ready. He was worried though. He couldn't think of what would upset his friend. She hadn't had a boyfriend in months and he didn't think she'd been fighting with her friends.

"I'm pregnant."

Justin froze at the whispered words, sure he had to have heard them wrong. "What?" He asked.

She pulled back enough to look at him and he dropped one arm from around her.

"I'm pregnant, Jus," she said wiping away new tears.

He stared at his friend, still not sure he was hearing her right. Daphne pregnant?

She stood up suddenly and started pacing. "What am I going to do?" She asked as she walked. "I didn't plan on kids until I was married and at least thirty. What am I going to do?"

He watched her for a moment as she paced, mumbling to herself. "Daph," he finally said.

She looked at him as if she'd forgotten he was there.

"Sit down."

She nodded and sat back down next to him.

"There are two things you can do," he told her. "You can either raise the baby or give it up for adoption."

She bit her lip and looked at him. "What do you think?" She asked softly, staring him right in the eyes.

Justin stared at her and didn't know what to say. He finally pulled her back into his arms. "Whatever you choose, Daph, I'll be here for you," he promised her.

She nodded, hugging him back. "I know, Jus," she said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Hell, he didn't know what he would have done without her over these past years.

He held her, not knowing what else to do for his friend. "Is this why you went to the doctor today?" He asked after several minutes.

She nodded again this shoulder. "I haven't been feeling good. I was afraid I was when I was late, but I was too chicken to take one of those home tests."

He nodded and rubbed her back, not knowing what else to do. He had no experience with pregnant women. Even when Mel had been pregnant with Jenny, he hadn't dealt much with her as far as the pregnancy.

After what seemed like forever the two went to Daphne's room and stripped down to their underwear. Daphne curled into Justin once they were in the bed, needing the comfort. She had no idea what she was going to do.


	7. Chapter 7

Usually this part of the part was peaceful to Justin. He came here to draw and get away from everyone. It was far enough away from where kids played and people walked their dogs. There was a large old tree that he usually sat under, but today he couldn't sit down.

Justin paced.

He'd talked with Daphne a little this morning, made her breakfast, then claimed he had errands to run. She knew why he needed to get out, but she let him use the excuse.

He ran his hand through his hair as he paced. Daphne was pregnant. Abortion was not an option. She was going through the pregnancy weather she was keeping the baby or not.

He paced, knowing the months to come were going to be hard. He had no clue how to take care of a pregnant woman, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let her deal with this on her own.

"Well, you look antsy."

Justin jumped, startled, and turned to find Brian standing not far away.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, holding a hand to his chest as if it could calm his pounding heart. He'd been so focused on his thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to anything going on around him.

"I was taking a walk with Lindsay and Gus," he said shrugging. "So why are you pacing instead of drawing?"

Justin bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm thinking."

"Must be something important," Brian said walking closer, watching the blond. Justin looked stressed, something he usually didn't show.

"You can say that," he muttered, turning away from his lover.

Brian pulled out two cigarettes and handed him one when he turned back around. He didn't say anything as Justin stared off into space, smoking, clearly thinking.

"Were you around Lindsay much while she was pregnant?" Justin asked out of the blue.

Brian looked at him in surprise, but Justin was still looking off somewhere else. "I didn't avoid her," he finally said. "But I didn't have much to do with her pregnancy. Mel was there for her, I was just a friend."

Justin nodded as he stamped out his finished cigarette. He pulled a pack out of his pocket and took out another one. He lit it and blew smoke out in a long exhale.

"Why do you ask?" Brian asked as he stepped on the end of his cigarette.

Justin didn't answer right away and Brian didn't push. He usually didn't ask people what they were thinking, but Justin looked like he had a lot on his mind.

"Promise not to tell anyone," Justin finally said, still not looking at him.

"You know I don't spread gossip," he reminded the younger man. "I hate that shit."

Justin nodded and took a long drag from his smoke. "Daph's pregnant."

Brian looked at him in surprise. "I would have expected a smart girl like her to use protection."

Justin turned to him quickly, anger in his blue eyes. "She does," he said hotly. "You know no protection is one hundred percent."

Brian looked at him, surprised by the heat in his voice. "You're right," he conceded.

Justin rubbed the back of his neck, dropping his head back to look at the sky.

"So," Brian said slowly. "Why are you stressing about it?"

"She's my friend," he said and started pacing again. "I can't leave her to deal with this alone."

"What about her boyfriend?" Brian asked with a raised brow. "Isn't his place to help her as the father?"

Justin barked out a laugh. "Daph doesn't have a boyfriend," he admitted. "She hasn't had one in several months."

"How far along is she?" He asked and put his hand in his pockets, watching as Justin paced, clearly upset about this.

"A month and a half," Justin said and dropped the last of his smoke to the ground.

"So, she's still been fucking someone," he pointed out. "He should be the one worrying about helping her."

"Why the fuck do you think I'm so stressed?!" Justin snapped before thinking.

Brian's mouth fell open, staring at the blond, sure he misunderstood.

Justin stopped his pacing, realizing what he'd just said, what he admitted.

"Are you saying _you_ got her pregnant?" Brian asked slowly.

Justin ran his hand through his hair, unable to look at the older man. "I'm the only one she's fucked in the two months I've lived with her," he admitted.

"You fucked her?" He asked slowly, still not sure he was hearing right.

"So?" Justin snapped defensively. "You fucked Lindsay."

"Like ten years ago," he told him. "And it was only a couple times."

"But you found her attractive enough to do it," he pointed out, still not looking at Brian.

"Is that why you fucked Daphne? Because you suddenly find women attractive?"

Justin laughed a little. "I have no interest in women," he assured his lover. "Just Daphne." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Fuck, Brian, I don't know what it is. I have no interest in women, they have never turned me on."

"But apparently she does," he said with a small frown. It was hard to imagine, Justin fuck a woman, not that he was trying to imagine the actual fucking part.

Justin blew a breath out and nodded. "She did that time in school," he admitted. "But after that I never looked at her as someone to fuck. She's my best friend."

"But you changed your mind."

"We were fucked up," he said running his hand through his hair again. His hair had to look like hell by now.

"And you didn't use protection?" Brian asked doubtfully.

"Of course I used a condom," Justin said looking at him quickly. "You taught me better than that. It doesn't matter how fucked up I get, I always you a condom."

Brian nodded slowly.

"Besides, Daph has been on the pill since she was sixteen."

"So…" Brian said slowly, not knowing what to say.

Justin shifted on his feet, uncomfortable. He hadn't expected anyone to know.

"So, we enjoyed it," he finally admitted, looking away again.

Brian stared at Justin even though he was partially turned away. He had the feeling there was more.

"It was an unspoken agreement that we didn't talk about it," Justin said after a minute. "We just don't talk about."

"Most people don't when they do something outrageous while fucked up," Brian told him.

Justin bit his lip, unable to look at his lover. "It wasn't only once," he admitted slowly.

Brian raised his brow, but stayed silent.

"I don't understand it," Justin said and started pacing again. "I don't like pussy, I'm not bi. Except when it comes to Daphne lately." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I know I love her, but I'm not in love with her. She's my best friend."

"But you're fucking?"

He nodded. "Not all the time."

"Enough she got pregnant," Brian said. He couldn't believe he was talking about this with his Justin.

"Fuck," Justin said after a long minute a silence. "I don't know what to do."

"Is she planning on keeping it?" Brian asked logically.

"We don't know," he admitted. "I mean, we're still in school. She's on a partial scholarship and you're paying for my schooling. Neither of us makes much money. The practical thing would be to give it up for adoption."

"But you don't want to?" Brian asked calmly. He had no idea what to personally think about all of this, but the least he could do was ask the questions Justin was trying to find answers to, to listen as he vented.

"I don't know," Justin sighed honestly. He stopped pacing, but still didn't look at Brian. "The thought of a kid has passed through my mind once or twice, but that was fleeting and would be far in the future."

"Well, it's not like you two have to decide anything now," Brian told him.

Justin nodded. He knew that, but at the moment it was all he could think about.

Brian finally walked up to Justin and put his arms around him, pulling his back to Brian's chest. "Calm down, Sunshine," he told him. "It's too early to stress."

He nodded again. "I know. It's just a lot to take in."

"No shit," Brian agreed.

Justin sighed and leaned against the other man, taking comfort. He knew he shouldn't be so stressed, knew it was too early to freak out about everything. It really was a lot to take in, to accept. Daph was pregnant and he was the father. A gay boy got a straight girl pregnant by accident.

He laughed a little at that.

"What?" Brian asked with a small smile.

"A gay boy got a straight girl pregnant by accident," he shared.

Brian chuckled and hugged Justin closer, knowing the boy needed it.

He put his chin on Justin's shoulder and just looked out ahead of them, not really seeing anything. He didn't know what to think. Justin had been fucking Daphne all this time. Should he be upset about that? They had agreed not to fuck the same guy twice, but Daphne wasn't a guy. Of course, Justin loved her and lived with her; they were practically in a relationship. Should he be upset about that?

"Brian?" Justin said softly. "I'm sorry for not telling you about Daph."

"I think that's an understandable secret," he said after a moment, honestly understanding why the younger man hadn't said anything.

"Are you upset?"

Brian held Justin for several minutes, thinking. Was he upset? Maybe. The boy had been having what was basically a relationship with someone else, again. He knew this was different though. It bothered him a little, but he couldn't make himself think of it as cheating, not like it had been with the fiddler. He wasn't sure how to think about it, but he wasn't going to be upset with his Justin.

"No," he finally said. "The whole situation is strange though."

Justin nodded in agreement.

There silent for several more minutes before Justin stepped out of Brian's arms. He turned and gave the man a small smile. "Thanks for listening to me," he said.

Brian smiled back. "You had to talk to someone," he pointed out.

"I guess I should head back," he said pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"You need to come to Woody's tonight," Brian told him. "Have a drink."

"You going to let me go home with you?" He asked slowly, hoping he hadn't just screwed up with relationship.

"As long as I can fuck your brains out."

Justin grinned. "I'll see you at Woody's then."

Brian pulled him back against him and kissed him, enjoying the moan Justin gave.

Justin was breathing heavily when he finally stepped out of Brian's arms again. "Later."

"Later," Brian said and watched Justin walk away.

Justin felt a little better as he left the park. He still didn't have any kind of answers, but he felt better for talking it out with someone, with Brian. Now he felt like he could go home and talk with Daphne easier. He just hoped she wouldn't be pissed that he'd talked wit Brian, but he doubted she would be.


	8. Chapter 8

Monday evening Justin sat on the couch with Daphne, pretending to watch the movie they had playing. They sat on opposite ends of the couch, with Daphne curled up with her feet on the couch between them.

"I don't want to give the baby up for adoption," Justin admitted out of nowhere. They hadn't been talking about her pregnancy, hadn't really been talking about anything since they started the movie.

Daphne turned and looked at her friend. "I don't want a stranger raising our baby either," she said, twisting her hands together in her lap. "But I can't keep it. I know it might sound cold, but I want to finish school and get my doctorate. I can't do that if I have a baby to take care of."

Justin nodded. He understood her desire, but his was different. He didn't want to lose his baby. Even if it meant giving up his dream of being an artist.

"Then I'll keep the baby," he said firmly. He smiled a little. "But you will still be his mom."

She smiled back. "You want a boy then?"

He shrugged.

She bit her lip. "What about Brian?"

"What about him?" He asked, already knowing what she meant. It was something he'd been thinking of as he'd thought about keeping the baby.

"What is he going to say about this?" She asked. "What if he doesn't want a baby? You know how he is."

Justin nodded. He knew how Brian was. "I'm not going to lose my child because Brian doesn't want a family," he said firmly.

She nodded slowly and gave him a weak smile. She knew how much he loved the older man. "What about Mel and Lindsay?" She asked a couple minutes later.

"What about them?" He asked with a frown.

"What about them adopting the baby? If they did then we could both stay in its life and it still be raised in a stable home."

Justin stared at the TV for several long minutes, thinking about the lesbians. They had Gus, were good moms. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let them have his baby. Would they put him through the shit they had put Brian through? He didn't want to have to fight with them to be a part of his kid's life.

"I don't know," he finally said. "It's something to think about. I really think I would rather raise the baby myself. I don't want to be a part-time parent."

"You mean I like will be?" She asked with a touch of bitterness.

"There is nothing wrong with what you want," he told her, reaching out and taking her hand. "You are honest about what you want instead of forcing yourself to do something you're not ready for. You have a choice and you're making an honest one."

She nodded slowly. "What about your school and dreams?"

He shrugged again. "You are working towards a career," he reminded her. "I'm studying art, not exactly something major."

"But it's your dream."

"I would rather keep our baby," he said honestly. "Just because we never intended for this, I can't just give it up."

"I remember talking about having kids several years ago," she said with a small smile. "You said you wanted kids…"

"And you swore you weren't going to have any until you were at least thirty and married."

Daphne sighed softly. "If you want to keep it," she said with a nod.

"I do," he said firmly.

She nodded. She knew he wasn't lying, but she wasn't sure if he really understood what keeping the baby would really mean. He had several months to think about it before he had to make the final decision.

"I don't want anyone to know I'm pregnant," she told him. "At least not until I make it through the first trimester."

He nodded.

"I know Brian won't say anything so it's just between the three of us."

He nodded again and they turned their attention back to the movie, needing to distract themselves from what was going on.

Two months later

The last two months seemed long to Justin and Daphne, even though little changed for them. They talked almost nightly about her pregnancy, her morning sickness, the baby, and what it meant for their lives, mainly the next year of it.

She was officially through her first trimester.

Justin made them sandwiches for lunch and they sat on the couch in their apartment.

"So what now?" Justin asked.

"I guess now we figure out how we're going to handle the next six months," Daphne sighed. "And what you're going to do with a baby."

He nodded and slouched down on the couch. "How are we going to explain this?" He asked after a minute. "I mean, we can keep it a secret for a little while longer, maybe a month."

She sighed and grabbed one of the library books off the coffee table. They'd been doing a lot of reading the past two months on what she was going to have to deal with. "How do you explain a gay guy getting a girl pregnant?" She laughed.

"By accident is going to be weird to explain and kind of unbelievable," he said running his hand through his hair. How the hell had this happened? How the hell did he end up fucking Daphne? He didn't like pussy, but he had enjoyed having sex with her. They weren't having sex anymore. For some reason finding out about the pregnancy kind of ruined the secret activity.

"Well," she said slowly. "Gay men get women pregnant when they want a baby."

"Not by actually having sex," he pointed out.

"Who has to know we actually had sex?" She asked with a raised brow.

Justin gave her a thoughtful look. "So we play it off as me getting you to have a baby for me?" He asked slowly.

She nodded. "It would explain why I'm pregnant, why I'm not going to raise the baby," she said calmly. "And it is more believable than you accidently getting me pregnant."

He had to smile a little. "Point there."

"I mean, we're still going to catch shit, you know that."

He nodded. "I know. We're young," he said, already hearing the shit people were going to say. "Still in school."

"You're a single young man without even your own place," she added.

"Not ready for the responsibilities of a baby."

They both sighed.

"I think I got the job at the art store," Justin told her after a little while. He knew he needed to save money, but he also wanted to be able to pay for anything Daphne was going to need.

He looked at the books on the table and sighed softly. Life was never going to be the same again.

Justin wiggled in the plush bed, making himself more comfortable. Brian was just getting out of the shower. He had to be to work soon while Justin had a good hour before he had to leave.

"Are you working tonight?" Brian asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah, I have the dinner shift," he told him.

"And the store this afternoon?" Brian continued, already knowing. The younger man was working a lot lately, but Brian understood. Justin was trying to be responsible.

"Yeah."

"Have you two decided what you're going to do?" He asked as he dressed. "You haven't said anything in at least a week about it."

Justin sat up and bit his lip. He knew what he wanted, but he was worried about Brian's reaction. It wasn't going to change what Justin was do, but he still worried.

"Actually, we have," he said slowly.

"And?" Brian asked, trying to sound neutral. He wasn't neutral. He could lie all he wanted, but anything that concerned Justin concerned him.

"I'm keeping the baby," Justin said firmly.

Brian looked at the blond, not entirely surprised that Justin didn't want to give the baby up. Justin was the type of man to want to be part of his kid's life, he loved kids. Hell, he spent more time with Gus than Brian did. Justin would be a great father, even if he is young.

"You?" He asked after a second. "Not you and Daphne?"

Justin looked at his lap, pulling the blanket to cover it. "Daphne doesn't want to raise a baby," he said honestly. "She wants to focus on her career if she has the choice."

Brian nodded slowly.

"I think she's happy that we're not completely giving the baby away," Justin went on. "She will be part of the baby's life, but she's mature enough to admit that she'd not ready to raise a baby."

"Very responsible," Brian said in approval.

Justin sighed. "I know I'm young, single, still in school, and have a crap job, but I can't make myself give the baby away."

"You sound like you already know what people are going to say."

He nodded.

"And what are you going to counter with?" Brian asked, raising a brow.

"I can't counter it," Justin said with another sigh. "Because I am. But I am not going to let that stop me. I know I can do this. I'm already working a second job. I can cut back my classes or even put off the rest of my schooling for a couple years."

Brian frowned at that. He didn't like the thought of Justin giving up his schooling, his dream. Looking at the younger man though, he knew he would if it meant keeping the unborn baby.

"You're not single though," Brian finally said as he sat down on the bed to put his shoes on.

Justin huffed a humorless laugh. "Brian, we're not in any kind of stable relationship," he reminded the older man. "Besides, once Daphne has the baby even that will change."

"Why do you say that?" Brian asked, though he understood why the man was saying it.

"Brian, I'm going to have a baby. You don't want to deal with a baby," Justin said and looked up at the man he loved.

Brian sighed. He knew he wasn't cut out to be a fulltime parent, no matter how much Justin claimed he was good with Gus.

"So what are you two going to tell people?" He finally asked.

Justin ran his hand through his tangled hair. "I convinced Daphne to have a baby for me," he told him. "We know people are going to give us hell, but we both figure it will be easier to explain and accepted."

Brian nodded. It was easier to believe that Justin convinced his best friend to have a baby for him than that he accidently got the girl pregnant, something Brian was still wrapping his head around.

He finally leaned over and kissed the twink. "Well, I'll help you two if you need anything," he assured him, not knowing what else to say.

Justin gave him a smile. "Thanks," he said.

Brian stood up and straightened his tie. "I have to go."

"Later," Justin said and fell back on the bed.

Brian nodded and left the loft.

Justin wiggled under the blanket, breathing in the scent of Brian and their sex, taking comfort.


	9. Chapter 9

Justin wiggled in the plush bed, making himself more comfortable. Brian was just getting out of the shower. He had to be to work soon while Justin had a good hour before he had to leave.

"Are you working tonight?" Brian asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Yeah, I have the dinner shift," he told him.

"And the store this afternoon?" Brian continued, already knowing. The younger man was working a lot lately, but Brian understood. Justin was trying to be responsible.

"Yeah."

"Have you two decided what you're going to do?" He asked as he dressed. "You haven't said anything in at least a week about it."

Justin sat up and bit his lip. He knew what he wanted, but he was worried about Brian's reaction. It wasn't going to change what Justin was do, but he still worried.

"Actually, we have," he said slowly.

"And?" Brian asked, trying to sound neutral. He wasn't neutral. He could lie all he wanted, but anything that concerned Justin concerned him.

"I'm keeping the baby," Justin said firmly.

Brian looked at the blond, not entirely surprised that Justin didn't want to give the baby up. Justin was the type of man to want to be part of his kid's life, he loved kids. Hell, he spent more time with Gus than Brian did. Justin would be a great father, even if he is young.

"You?" He asked after a second. "Not you and Daphne?"

Justin looked at his lap, pulling the blanket to cover it. "Daphne doesn't want to raise a baby," he said honestly. "She wants to focus on her career if she has the choice."

Brian nodded slowly.

"I think she's happy that we're not completely giving the baby away," Justin went on. "She will be part of the baby's life, but she's mature enough to admit that she'd not ready to raise a baby."

"Very responsible," Brian said in approval.

Justin sighed. "I know I'm young, single, still in school, and have a crap job, but I can't make myself give the baby away."

"You sound like you already know what people are going to say."

He nodded.

"And what are you going to counter with?" Brian asked, raising a brow.

"I can't counter it," Justin said with another sigh. "Because I am. But I am not going to let that stop me. I know I can do this. I'm already working a second job. I can cut back my classes or even put off the rest of my schooling for a couple years."

Brian frowned at that. He didn't like the thought of Justin giving up his schooling, his dream. Looking at the younger man though, he knew he would if it meant keeping the unborn baby.

"You're not single though," Brian finally said as he sat down on the bed to put his shoes on.

Justin huffed a humorless laugh. "Brian, we're not in any kind of stable relationship," he reminded the older man. "Besides, once Daphne has the baby even that will change."

"Why do you say that?" Brian asked, though he understood why the man was saying it.

"Brian, I'm going to have a baby. You don't want to deal with a baby," Justin said and looked up at the man he loved.

Brian sighed. He knew he wasn't cut out to be a fulltime parent, no matter how much Justin claimed he was good with Gus.

"So what are you two going to tell people?" He finally asked.

Justin ran his hand through his tangled hair. "I convinced Daphne to have a baby for me," he told him. "We know people are going to give us hell, but we both figure it will be easier to explain and accepted."

Brian nodded. It was easier to believe that Justin convinced his best friend to have a baby for him than that he accidently got the girl pregnant, something Brian was still wrapping his head around.

He finally leaned over and kissed the twink. "Well, I'll help you two if you need anything," he assured him, not knowing what else to say.

Justin gave him a smile. "Thanks," he said.

Brian stood up and straightened his tie. "I have to go."

"Later," Justin said and fell back on the bed.

Brian nodded and left the loft.

Justin wiggled under the blanket, breathing in the scent of Brian and their sex, taking comfort.

Brain tapped the end of his pin on his desk, his mind nowhere near working on the Grison account.

He was preoccupied with Justin and the baby he would have.

Brian just got the blond back. He didn't want to lose him again. Fuck, he cared about the boy more than he was able to admit. He didn't want to give him up.

Justin was going to have a baby though. Brian already knew the boy would be a great father, he was so good with Gus.

Thinking of Gus, he opened a desk drawer and pulled out the two pictures he kept there. Most of the employees kept pictures on their desk, but Brian didn't. Only heteros and lesbians did something that sentimental.

He smiled at the picture of Gus playing with some silly stuffed bear, grinning widely. The second picture he would never admit to having in his desk, people might think he had feelings for someone other than his son.

This was an older picture, taken when Gus was only a couple months old. Justin was lying on his side on the floor at the munchers' house, playing with the baby, smiling his sunshine smile. Gus lay on the floor in front of him, clearly laughing as he reached for the rattle dangling over his head. Justin had been over at the munchers for some reason and one of the girls thought it was a cute moment to catch. Brian would never agree that it was a nice picture.

He smiled at the picture of his two boys. Yes, his boys. He could admit to himself that Justin was his. Justin meant almost as much to him as Gus.

He would never in a million years admit how much he enjoyed the time he spent with them together. He certainly would never admit that it felt like having a family when he and Justin spent time with Gus, that he like feeling like that with Justin.

He frowned thoughtfully. He did enjoy spending time as a family with his boys.

He looked at the picture in his hand. Did he want a family? Justin was about to have a baby. If he wanted Justin, he would get a family. Was that want he wanted? A fulltime family?

He continued to look at the picture of Justin and Gus.

He'd been thinking a lot of Justin's situation since he found out about the pregnancy, figuring that he and Daphne would keep the baby. What was decided was unexpected, for Justin to keep the baby by himself. And that was how Justin saw it. He didn't see Brian as a real partner, one who wanted to have a baby and be a family. Justin saw himself as single.

Brian couldn't fault the blond for thinking that. Brian never made it a secret that he was not a family man. It had surprisingly hurt when Justin explained why he thought of himself as single now that there would be a baby in the picture.

He didn't want to lose Justin again, he just got the twink back in his life.

He tapped his pen against the desk again. To keep Justin, to be with him, he would have to be a family man.

That thought didn't bother him like he always thought it would. For some reason thinking about it with Justin, it didn't really scare him. Nervous, hell yes, but not scared. He could see himself happy with Justin, with Justin and a baby.

He reached over and pushed the button to connect with Cynthia.

"Yes, boss?" She asked calmly over the speaker.

"Come in here," he said as he put the two pictures back in the drawer. He had to get back to work so he could take care of other business later.


	10. Chapter 10

Justin was curled up contently at one end of Brian's sofa, sketching. Brian sat on the other end of the sofa, flipping through channels on TV.

Justin smiled faintly, wondering if Brian ever realized how much time they spent just around each other, without directly interacting. Even when he still lived with Deb, they spent time just hanging out together.

Brian got up and grabbed a set of papers from his desk. He tossed them onto Justin's lap and pretended to watch the TV, even as he watched the blond out of the corner of his eye.

Justin looked at the papers in confusion. They contained information and pictures of an amazing four bedroom apartment. He stared at the pictures of the large living space, the beautiful kitchen, large master bath, and the one bedroom that had large windows to let the light.

Why was Brian having him look this?

"What is this?" Justin asked slowly, still looking at the pictures.

"Well," Brian drawled slowly. "The loft is much too small and not exactly practical for having a baby."

It took a second for what Brian said to register to Justin. When it did he looked up at the older man in surprise.

"Wh…what?" He stammered, sure he heard wrong.

"And Gus would have his own room when he stays," Brian went on casually, though his heart was pounding. He wanted Justin to accept this, them. He hoped the boy would understand what he was trying to say.

Justin stared at his lover with a small frown. "Baby?" He asked slowly.

"We are going to have a baby, aren't we?" Brian asked with a smirk, though his eyes betrayed the uncertainty he felt.

"We?" Justin asked in a whisper, more to himself than to Brian. Was Brian serious? He wanted to be with him and the baby?

"So," Brian said slowly after a minute. "Do you want to see the apartment?"

"Are you serious?" Justin asked. "You really want to do this? Be a family? Because that is what we'll be."

Brian inhaled deeply. He knew what he was doing meant he would have a family. He'd put a lot of thought into this past month and finally admitted to himself that he wanted Justin, and the idea of family with the blond didn't really scare him after all the thinking he'd done on it.

"Yes," he finally admitted.

Justin stared at his lover for a long moment, reading his eyes to see the truth. He finally smiled his bright sunshine smile and hugged Brian, nearly laying on top of him.

Brian had to chuckle and hugged the blond for a moment. "This doesn't mean we're going to become Stepford fags," he said once they were sitting up again.

Justin nodded and leaned against Brian's side. "What are we going to be?" He asked carefully.

Brian twisted a lock of Justin's hair between his fingers absently, not really aware that he was. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"Are we partners?" He asked without looking at the older man, nervous. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from him this evening.

Brian sighed. He should have known Justin would want to put some kind of label on them. "Yeah, I guess we are," he said. "Just don't expect all the romance and couple shit."

Justin smiled faintly as Brian continued to play with his hair. The man didn't seem to realize the simple 'couple shit' he did with Justin.

"So when do we see the apartment?" Justin asked after several minutes of comfortable silence.

"Tomorrow after you get out of class," Brian told him. He'd already checked the place out and knew his blond would love it. "For now, let's go to bed and fuck."

Justin laughed, but quickly got up and made his way to the bedroom, Brian right behind him.

The apartment wasn't far from Liberty, close enough that Justin could walk. There was a doorman which meant security, something Brian had insisted on when he started looking for a new home. The apartment was on the third floor, one of only two.

"What did you tell my mom when you called her?" Justin asked as he walked through the spacious kitchen. All the appliances were new and chrome and black. The counters were marble, the cabinets a nice dark cherry wood. Justin loved it.

"That I wanted something bigger now that Gus is old enough to stay over more," Brian said as he watched Justin walk around the large living room/dining room. "I might have mentioned needing some room for an artist to paint."

Justin gave him one of his bright smiles and continued to explore.

Brian followed, watching Justin's expressions as he looked everything over.

"Well?" He asked once they were back in the living room.

"You're really serious about all of this," Justin said in wonder.

Brian nodded.

Justin threw his arms around Brian and kissed him. "God, I love you, Brian."

Brian smiled, nudged their noses together, and kissed him again. That was all the answer Justin needed. Forget romance and pretty words, Brian showed his love.

"You have to go back to the office?" Justin asked after they parted, panting for breath.

Brian nodded. "I could actually use your help," he admitted. "Scott screwed up the Hordon's Sportswear boards this morning."

"How did he do that?" Justin asked as they left the apartment.

Brian tipped back his Beam, his eyes on Justin as the blond danced in a circle of sweaty men. They'd signed on the apartment that morning. Brian had insisted the younger man's name was on all the papers, after all he was buying the place for him.

"Baby looks awful happy tonight," Emmett said, leaning against the bar next to Brian. "You two have some fun before joining us tonight?"

Brian smirked. They had fucked while showering to come out, but he knew that wasn't the reason for Justin's extra bright smile. The boy hadn't stopped smiling since they left the apartment yesterday, since Brian said he was serious about the two of them being partners and raising his baby.

"We always do," Brian said and made his way to Justin. He pressed his body against the younger man's back, grinding his cock into his ass.

Justin lifted his arms and draped them around Brian's neck, leaning his head on his shoulder.

The man in front of him took that as an invitation to run his hands across Justin's sweaty chest, tweaking his nipples.

Justin couldn't help but moan.

"You want to take him to the backroom?" Brian said in his ear, licking the shell of it. "We can share him."

Justin looked over his shoulder at his lover for a long second. They hadn't discussed their relationship, but Justin knew tricks were something Brian wasn't going to give up. Feeling the hands running over his chest, he wasn't sure he wanted to give them up either. Tricking was fun, Justin just didn't do it as much as Brian.

He nodded and released Brian, though Brian's hands stayed on his hips. He reached out and pulled the slender blond flush against him, grinding their cocks together.

"I want you to suck me," he told the trick loud enough to be heard over the music.

The guy nodded, licking his lips.

"While he fucks you," he went on, nodding his head back to Brian.

The guy nodded again eagerly.

They walked out of the backroom nearly half an hour later, Brian's arm across Justin's shoulders.

"We're heading out," Brian told Michael and Emmett when they got back to the bar.

Brian gave Michael a chaste kiss while Justin hugged Emmitt, and as usual Brian pulled him out of the embrace.

"Brian?" Justin said once they were in the jeep.

"Hmm?"

"We need to sit down and talk some details."

Brian sighed. "We need to have Daphne over and we can talk."

Justin nodded and leaned his head back. It was late and he was ready to get back to the loft, to have Brian fuck him.


	11. Chapter 11

"Wow, I didn't know you still lived here," Daphne teased when he walked into their apartment the next afternoon.

He laughed and tossed his bag toward his room then plopped down on the couch next to her.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I haven't been sick the past few days," she said then grinned. "Maybe it's because you weren't here."

He huffed and pushed her a little while she laughed.

"I'm okay though," she told him.

"Good."

Daphne eyed him for a minute, seeing the happiness in his blue eyes. "Okay, spill," she said. "I know you've stayed with Brian the past few nights, but you look extra happy. So, spill."

He couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. "Brian wants to be a real couple," he told her. "Even with the baby."

Daphne stared at her friend, not sure how shocked she was. She'd wondered what Brian would do. The man clearly loved Justin, but he'd also been against having a kid and everything that came with it.

"He wants to be a family?" She asked slowly, making sure she heard correctly.

Justin nodded, smiling. "I was so surprised," he admitted.

Daphne ran her hand over her stomach, which was starting to stick out a little. "So, we're still going with the surrogate story?"

"Yeah. We're still going to catch shit, but Brian will be with us."

"They won't be able to throw the money issue at you," she pointed out.

"Or that I'm single," he added. "And we'll have a new place soon."

"What?" Daphne asked in surprise.

Justin chuckled. "Brian bought a place yesterday," he told her. "The loft just isn't made for a baby."

"I guess not." She stared at the TV for several minutes. "So we're finally figuring out what to do."

He nodded. "Brian wants us to come over tomorrow," he said after another couple minutes. "The three of us have a lot to talk about and work out."

She nodded then leaned her head on his shoulder.

Daphne sat at one end of Brian's sofa, Justin at the other end. Brian sat in the chair near the sofa. They'd just eaten a nice little dinner Justin had cook and were finally about to get into the real reason she was there.

"So," Daphne said after a minute of silence between them. "What is it you wanted to talk about, Brian? What do we have to work out?"

"Well," Brian said, leaning back in his seat with his beer. "I suppose the first thing would be medical arrangements. I know you're seeing a doctor. Are you going to a clinic or do you have insurance?"

"I have insurance," she told him. "And before you ask, it covers most everything."

He nodded. "I need to know how much the monthly price is and how much it doesn't cover, including copays, and any over the counter vitamins or medicines you're taking."

Daphne stared at him for a second before nodding slowly.

Justin sighed silently. He and Brian had already discussed all over this. He wasn't entirely happy that Brian was taking fanatical charge of everything, had even insisted Justin quit his second job, but he understood the older man's reasons.

"Now, I don't want this to come off cold, but I'd like the three of us sit down with a lawyer and make up a contract concerning parental right," Brian said carefully.

"I have no problem signing them over," she said after a minute of staring at her lap.

"No," Justin said quickly. "I want us to sign papers for all three of us to have rights."

Daphne smiled at her friend. "That sounds perfect," she said honestly.

"The next thing is a request," Brian said after a minute.

"Okay?"

"We want you to move into the apartment with us for the rest of your pregnancy," he told her calmly. "And for the month following."

"That way we can help you and you won't be alone," Justin added.

"But what about my apartment?" She asked slowly.

"You can sublet it," Brian suggested. "Or we can just help you find a new place later."

Daphne bit her lip at that.

"Please, Daph," Justin said gently. "I –we- want to be with you through this."

She looked between the two men, seeing just how serious they were. "Okay," she finally said.

Brian smiled. He couldn't believe how much his life was changing, and how much he didn't care if it was what he'd always said he didn't want.

"So when are you two moving?" Daphne asked lightly.

"Monday," Justin told her. "We're going to buy a bedroom set for our room tomorrow. Then Monday the movers will be here."

"Does anyone know?"

Brian shook his head. "We're going to tell them tomorrow at dinner."

"And about the baby," Justin added. "Do you want to come?"

Daphne hesitated, not sure she really wanted to hear all the crap that was going to be said, but she wasn't going to let the two men face it alone. "Of course."

Justin refused to admit that he was nervous as he sat at Deb's table, between Brian and Daphne.

Everyone had made comments about Brian actually showing up before dinner started, and everyone commented about Daphne coming as well. The three knew everyone was curious why the girl was there, and probably even more curious to why the teens had come with Brian.

"You look awful tired, Daphne," Emmett commented halfway through dinner. "Stay up partying too late last night?" He grinned at the girl.

"No," she said slowly then took a deep breath. "I was packing."

"You're moving?" The queen asked in surprise.

She nodded.

"Why?" Debbie asked. "Is something wrong with your apartment?"

"Daphne's moving in with us," Brian said calmly.

Everyone at the table looked at him for a long minute.

"What do you mean with you?" Michael demanded. "Why is she moving into the loft?"

"Not the loft," Brian told him.

"What are you talking about, Brian?" Debbie asked. "Where else would be with you? And what do you mean us? Does Sunshine live with you again?"

Brian nodded. "Of course he does," he said. "And she's moving into our new apartment this week."

"New apartment?" This time it was Lindsay, her eyes wide. "What new apartment?"

"The one Justin and I got the other day," he told her calmly.

Justin placed his hand on Brian's thigh, thankful the man was the one answering the questions, at least for the moment.

"What would you move out of your loft?" Michael asked then shot Justin a glare. "Why would you get an apartment with him?"

"Why wouldn't I want my partner living with me?" Brian asked, not even tripping over the word partner.

"Partner?" Debbie asked in surprise.

Brian raised a brow at the woman and she smiled.

"Good for you two," she said looking between Brian and Justin.

"Since when is he your partner?" Michael demanded.

"Since we got back together," Brian told him.

Justin smiled a little.

"Why are you moving out of the loft though?" Lindsay asked. "And why is Daphne moving in with you?" There was something going on with the three of them.

"Well," Brian drawled slowly. "The loft isn't big enough for a nursery and Daphne is staying with us until after the baby is born."

The silence was longer this time, then everyone started talking at once.

"Baby?

"Pregnancy?"

"You're having a kid?"

"What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Oh! A baby!"

Brian just looked at Justin and Daphne while the three waited.

"Are you fucking serious?" Debbie asked once everyone stopped talking.

"As a heart attack," Brian said firmly.

"What are you two thinking?" Mel asked.

"Why would you agree to that?" Michael asked. "What did Boy Wonder do to get you to?"

"Justin didn't do anything," Brian said sharply. "This is something we discussed and agreed on."

"What are you two going to do with a baby?" Mel asked. "No offence, Justin, but you're still a kid. And Brian, we all know about your lifestyle. Hell, this is the first time you've even said that the two of you are a couple."

"What's going to happen when you split up again?" Lindsay asked. She didn't like the idea of Brian having a baby with someone else.

"I do take offence, Mel," Justin said. "Yes, I am young, but that does not mean I can't be a father." He looked at both women for a second then at everyone else at the table. "Brian and I are a couple. We have talked this through quite a lot. We both are serious about our relationship and our decision about having a child together."

Brian smirked at the surprise on the munchers' faces.

"Oh! I'm so happy for you!" Emmett gushed.

Justin smiled at the queen. He knew he would be.

"Why would you do this though?" Debbie asked. "You two just got back together, Sunshine is still in school, so is Daphne."

Brian placed his hand over Justin's where it sat on his thigh. "This is something Justin and I have talked about for some time," he lied.

Everyone looked shocked again.

"I just can't believe this," Michael said.

Daphne sighed and stood up. "Believe it," she said and smoothed her shirt over the small bump she had.

It was silent again for a minute.

"Oh! Honey," Emmett said jumping up. He rushed over and rubbed his hand over the bump.

Daphne and Justin chuckled.

"Well," Debbie said sitting back. "Congratulations then."

"So," Lindsay said slowly. "How far along are you, Daphne?"

"Four months," she said sitting back down.

Lindsay stared at her for a second then looked at Brian. "It hasn't been much longer than that since Justin left Ethan."

Everyone looked at Brian and Justin in question.

Brian shrugged. "That doesn't matter."

"So, I guess you're the father, Baby?" Emmett asked Justin brightly.

"Yeah," Daphne answered. "I wouldn't agree to Brian unless he fucked me, and he wouldn't."

Ted about chocked on his drink while everyone else looked at Daphne in surprise.

Brian and Justin chuckled and Brian reached around the blond to pat Daphne on the shoulder. "Sorry, Daphne," he said with a grin. "You're just not my type."

"I know," she pouted playfully.

"I don't think this is a smart thing to do, Brian," Lindsay said.

"I don't really care what you think," Brian said firmly and looked around the table. "What any of you think. This is our lives and our decisions. So either be happy for us, or shut the fuck up."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"I'm happy," Emmett said brightly. "I'm going to be an auntie."

Justin chuckled and that seemed to break the tension.

The three spent the rest of the evening basically evading questions about when and why they decided to have a baby and answering questions about the new apartment.

"That went better than I thought," Justin admitted as Brian drove them to Daphne's apartment.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Night, boy," Daphne said when she got out of the jeep.

"Let's go home, Sunshine," Brian said, driving them to the loft, their last night there.


End file.
